Kate Burke

Miss Burke
Honors History 10
4-24-18

China’s hardships date back to the Qing Dynasty and extended into the 20th century.
These hardships eventually brought revolutions in an attempt to bring about change for the
better, it was because of China’s initial thought to become a republic that led to revolutions and
the eventual rise of communism.
The cause of China’s revolutions began with Yuan Shikai. He brought down the Qing
Dynasty and then wanted to make China a republic. The people were not on board with this. In
1916, Yuan Shikai died and that is where things went downhill. There was lots of fighting in
China that caused destruction of land and a famine in China. China was weak and vulnerable, so
countries began to take advantage of China’s vulnerability. Japan gave China the 21 demands,
and the allies took German possessions within China. The Chinese people were angry with their
leaders for rolling over and not fighting. The Chinese people decided to revolt. Looking back,
the revolutions were caused by the idea of China becoming a republic and led to greater issues
than were foreseen at the time,
Students and citizens were upset their leaders had failed to stand up for them. They
conducted the May fourth revolution. They began boycotting which did not help the economy.
Chiang Kai Shek brought a new idea of communism to China. When western civilization would
not help, the USSR offered their support and taught communism. He massacred thousands of
people. Mao Zedong survived the massacres and went to join the revolting citizens. He took
them through the Long March away from the communists. It did not work. Many people died
and communism took control in China.
The revolutions were deemed unsuccessful and aid a good deal of harm in China.
Communism spread and drastically changed China forever. Japan was annoyed so they bombed
China. Effects of the Chinese revolutions included a dangerous bombing, and a new communist
system that effectively changed China.
China’s revolution was caused by Yuan Shikai’s movement to become a republic and it
eventually led to China becoming a communist country. Great leaders throughout history have
tried making drastic changes without imagining the effects in years to come. There was no way
to predict a revolution, or Marxism in China, but it happened. Following WWI, China struggled
with their government, a famine then hit, revolution spread, and eventually, Communism found
its place. It was because of China’s idea to become a republic that led to revolutions and the
eventual rise of communism.